This invention relates to waste disposal apparatus. The invention relates more particularly to an improved vehicle for the repositioning and transport of refuse containers.
In a form of waste handling which has gained relatively wide acceptance in recent years, refuse and waste from a source, such as a residential building complex, an office building or a commercial establishment is accumulated over a period of time in a rigid, metal container. The container is relatively large and heavy and generally has to be handled by mechanical means. To this end the container is generally located in an area which is accessible to vehicles having means for handling a container. A container of this type is adapted to be raised by a refuse collection vehicle and to be tilted to an attitude for emptying the refuse content of the container into a receptacle of the vehicle. In a typical arrangement, the refuse container includes rigid sleeve members positioned on opposite sides of the container which are engaged by arms or forks extending from the refuse collection vehicle. The vehicle is maneuvered for providing that the arms or forks engage the container sleeves. The container is then lifted by mechanical means such as a hydraulic lift and is tilted for emptying its contents into the vehicle receptacle.
It is often necessary to reposition, maneuver or transport refuse containers from location to location. The need for movement arises for example when a refuse container is first transported to its site, when it is repositioned at the site, when it is moved from one site to another, and when it is returned to a shop for repairs. Since the containers are heavy and bulky, they are usually lifted and maneuvered only by mechanical means, such as by a refuse vehicle having hydraulicly actuated arms or forks. In one technique the containers are transported on a flatbed tractor or truck and are lifted off or on the flatbed trailer or truck at the site by a fork equipped refuse vehicle. In an alternative arrangement, a vehicle which is dedicated solely to the purpose of lifting and repositioning the refuse container has been provided.
These techniques for repositioning and transporting the refuse container are expensive and time consuming. The use of a flatbed trailer or truck for transporting the refuse container necessitates two vehicles, the flatbed truck and the additional fork equipped refuse vehicle for raising and lowering the containers onto and off of the truck. Operators for each of these vehicles must be provided. Thus, when it is desirable to transport a single container to or from a site or to reposition a container at a site, two vehicles and operators will be required. Committing this equipment and manpower to a single container movement is economically undesirable. The alternative is undesirable delay in the operation until a reasonable number of containers must be moved.
The use of a vehicle dedicated solely to the purpose of repositioning a refuse container is economically undesirable, since the vehicle serves virtually no other purpose than that of moving containers about. In the absence of the need to move containers the vehicle will generally remain idle.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved vehicle for the movement of refuse containers.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved vehicle for container movement which is adapted to provide additional utility.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for mounting a refuse container handling means to a vehicle chassis.
Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle having both utility body and handling means for a refuse container.
A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle for refuse container movement having arms for engaging a refuse container and means for retracting the arms to an alternate position, thereby allowing the vehicle to be used for other purposes.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a container handling vehicle adapted to handle containers at locations heretofore considered inaccessible and at locations which substantially restrict maneuverability of the vehicle.